Our Son
by ewace246
Summary: Henry is convinced that his mother is evil. She is incredibly rude to Emma and often lies to Henry. Regina loves her son, but has a history with Miss Swan that she is reluctant to share. Emma is just trying to fix her mistakes.
1. Amazing Things from Terrible Nights

_Emma groaned as she tried to open her eyes. Her head felt like it had been attacked with a hammer. She must have been drinking last night. There was something warm pressed up against her back. What had she been doing last night?_

 _Finally, she was able to open her eyes enough to see a blurry hand in front of her face. The hand was attached to an arm that was wrapped around her as she lay in bed. That explains the warmth against her back._

 _This wasn't her house. She didn't recognize the hand, or the arm it was attached to, only that it looked masculine. She tried to crawl out of bed carefully, but her movements awoke the stranger._

 _"Where are you going?" He asked, rubbing his eyes to look at her. Emma hastily pulled the sheets around herself, shielding her naked body from his view. He seemed to find this humorous._

 _"Where are my clothes?" she asked, her tone demanding an answer. He shrugged and gestured around the room._

 _"The floor, the bed," he chuckled to himself, "the ceiling fan. It was quite a night."_

 _She leaned over and threw up on the floor, from both alcohol and disgust._

 _"Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for," he said, mostly to himself but loud enough for her to hear._

 _"Sorry," she apologized._

 _"It's okay," he assured her. "I can clean that."_

 _"Not just for that, but for whatever happened last night."_

 _"Your boyfriend isn't going to come beat me up, is he?"_

 _"I don't have a boyfriend," she started. "Because I have a girlfriend," she finished, before his grin could grow too wide._

 _He got out of bed, without giving a second thought to her seeing him naked. She kept her eyes shut until she was sure he was at least dressed from the waist down, not wanting to vomit again. He wasn't a grotesquely hideous man. In fact, he was fairly cute, but only in the sense that his brown eyes reminded her of Regina. But he was still a man._

 _"How about I go make breakfast and leave you alone to your clothing scavenger hunt? There's a bathroom through that door if you need to… uh…yeah." He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him._

 _Mentioning a girlfriend worked pretty well in curbing male interest. Although it wasn't a lie. Emma really did have a girlfriend._

 _Regina._

 _Panic took hold of Emma as she hastily crawled out of bed, careful not to step in her vomit on the floor. She nearly fell face down on the floor, but managed to stumble to her purse and pull out her phone. She had many messages from Regina._

 _Sorry, dear. I have to stay late at the office. 8:07pm_

 _Don't wait up for me. I'm okay, just have a lot to get done. 10:14pm_

 _I will definitely need a lot of coffee once this is all done. 12:46am_

 _I do apologize if I'm waking you up with these text messages, but it's nice to have someone to talk to. 3:39am_

 _I wish I could be there with you, but work is annoying. I love you and miss you. I even miss the way you drool in your sleep. 4:58am_

 _At this point, there's not much merit to returning home. I'm so sorry I didn't get a chance to see you. I'm leaving on time today. 6:27am_

 _The first two were already marked as read messages._

 _Regina didn't come home last night. Emma would have liked to say that she was concerned for her hardworking and sleep deprived girlfriend, but honestly she was relieved. Regina didn't know that Emma had gone out. Regina didn't know that Emma had gotten herself drunk. Regina didn't know that Emma had slept with a strange man. Regina didn't know that Emma had done all of this while carrying a little box with an engagement ring in her purse. And Emma was determined that she would never find out._


	2. A Quest for Queen and Country

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place in the present day, about a decade after the events of the previous chapter (which was a flashback). I should probably mention that there is no curse. Regina Mills, Mary Margaret Blanchard, and David Nolan were all born in this world, not the Enchanted Forest, because there is no Enchanted Forest outside of Henry's book. Henry's book has fairytales, but in the more traditional sense of a nameless evil queen wanting to kill the innocent and beautiful Snow White so she can be the fairest. Storybrooke is a real town in Maine. Though the clock is broken, this does not affect anyone's aging or stop time in any way. I know, disappointing. Well, this is a land without magic.**

Mary Margaret flipped through the channels as her roommate sat on the couch, eyes glued to phone. This was one of the last times they would be able to do this. Boxes filled the living room. Everything was changing. It all started when David gave her that beautiful ring with the green gem. Emma was the maid of honor at their wedding. Now that the excitement of the wedding and the honeymoon had died down, Mary Margaret was moving out of the apartment and into a new place with her husband. As exciting as that was, she regretted leaving her best friend behind.

"Emma, look at this." Mary Margaret said, finally resting on one channel. "The child of some politician is missing."

"So?" Emma asked, not looking up from her phone. She was probably playing a game.

"Isn't that what you do? Find people?"

"I'm a bail bondsperson. So unless this kid has skipped bail-" her breath hitched in her throat as she looked up and saw the picture of the missing child. And the name at the bottom of the screen. Henry Mills.

"Are you okay?"

Emma's eyes widened and watered as she placed a hand over her open mouth. Her thumb and the base of her forefinger closed around her nostrils systematically, as she attempted to control her breathing.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret asked, growing very concerned.

"I-I'm-" her breathing quickened as she removed her hand. She could not control it.

Mary Margaret grabbed a paper bag and handed it to Emma who graciously took it and breathed into it, calming her breath. Mary Margaret started to place her hands on Emma's shoulders, but Emma flinched away from the human contact and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"I'm fine." Emma said finally.

"Emma. I may not have your superpower, but I can see that you're not fine. What's bothering you?"

"It- it's complicated."

"You don't have to tell me, but I think you'll feel better once you do."

Emma closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"I'm a terrible person," Emma admitted.

"No you're not."

"I had a family once, Mary Margaret. And then I messed everything up."

"That's your son?"

"I gave birth to him, but I doubt that you can call him my son."

"Oh Emma."

"I need to find him. I need to get him back home."

With that, Emma entered her own world. A world of leather jackets, electronics, and deep concentration. Mary Margaret knew that Emma would not be responsive for the rest of the evening.


	3. A Precarious Deal

Emma sat on a bus, in a seat next to a young boy deeply involved in a rather large book. He didn't know she was watching him. He didn't know who she was or that she knew who he was. It made her feel weird to employ her tactics on a child, like she was some kind of kidnapper. But she just wanted to get him back to Regina. She studied his face on the photograph, but he she was hardly prepared for seeing him in person. He had always looked more like Regina than he did her, which was odd considering that Emma was the only one biologically related to him. Technically he got the dark eyes and dark hair from his father's genetics, but Emma liked to think that they were from Regina.

"Is that a good book, kid?" She asked.

"It's more than just a book." He replied. He must be into really reading.

"So where are your parents?"

"My mom's meeting me at the stop."

"You know, I have a superpower. I can tell when anyone's lying to me. And you, Henry Mills, are."

He looked around for an exit, but the bus was in motion. There was no way out. It had taken her three days. Three days to find him and track him down. Three days to corner him like a rat. Yeah, this did seem weird. He wasn't a criminal. He wasn't a rat. He was just a kid who ran away from home. He was just a kid with panic in his eyes.

"Please don't call the police," he begged in a whisper. "I'm just trying to find my mom."

"Regina's missing?"

"My real mom. The one who loved me enough to give me away."

"Regina loves you."

"No she doesn't. She only pretends to for the cameras."

"That's not true."

"You don't know what it's like with her. I just need to find my real mom."

"I'm also really good at finding people. How about I make you a deal? You let me take you back home, and I'll find your birth mother?"

"You'd really find her?"

"Yeah, kid. Just don't be disappointed if she's not what you expect."


	4. One Taste of the Poison Apple

836-M4X. Regina didn't need to read the license plate to know exactly what car it was. The yellow bug pulled up outside her house and Regina breathed a sigh of relief as her son stepped out of it. At the same time, however, she could feel anxiety building up inside her, because she knew exactly who owned that car.

"Henry!" Regina cried as she ran over to hug her lost son. He didn't hug her back. He didn't even smile at her. "Where on Earth have you been?" she asked.

"Trying to find my real mom." His words felt like icicles being plunged into her chest. Henry ran into the house leaving Regina alone with the driver of the yellow bug.

"Hi" Emma said to Regina, half smiling.

Regina only stared at her. She had imagined this moment many times. She had covered all of the possible things to say to her ex-fiancée, but now she found herself speechless. After a few awkward moments of silence, Regina resorted to her diplomatic tendencies oh so familiar to the politician side of her.

"How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?" she asked, with a smile that may have seemed a little too forced. Emma had done the right thing in bringing Henry back. Regina needed to remember that.

Emma followed Regina into her kitchen. The promise of beverages seemed to help ease the tension just a bit.

"Look Regina-" Emma started.

"That's a bit informal, don't you think, Miss Swan?"

"I apologize, your majesty." Emma mocked. Regina's serious gaze remained and Emma grew confused. "You seriously want me to call you Miss Mills after everything we've been through?"

"That's Mayor Mills, and I have no idea what escapades you could be referring to."

"Seriously? I know we had some issues, but think of all the good times we had. What about that time we kissed in the rain? Or when we got an apartment together? Or when you said yes to my proposal? You want me to pretend like none of that ever happened?"

"If it's all the same to you, Miss Swan, I'd rather leave our past buried. What's done is done, and no one, especially Henry, needs to know about it."

"You never told the kid about us?"

"Miss Swan, there is no 'us.' There is simply you and me. And right now, I suggest that you leave my house before there is simply me."

"He's my son too. I have a right to-"

"NO." Regina said, the anger no longer concealed in her voice. "YOU don't get to speak. YOU don't get to do anything. He is NOT YOUR SON." Regina grabbed the nearest projectile she could find, which happened to be a red apple from the fruit bowl on her counter. Her voice became louder as she poised her hand to throw the fruit. "YOU GAVE UP THAT RIGHT WHEN YOU-" she stopped before she could throw the apple at Emma, calmly breathing in and out. She put her fake smile back on through gritted teeth. She slowly approached Emma.  
Emma said nothing, but took a step back, through the doorway of the kitchen and out into the hallway.

"Thank you for returning my son. Enjoy your trip back." She placed the apple in Emma's hand. Emma looked at the fruit and moved it towards her mouth, teeth poised to take a bite of it.

"Don't eat that!" Henry warned Emma from the top of the stairwell. Emma glanced up at Henry, then back at Regina, confused. Then she smiled politely, set the apple down, and walked out the door.

"Henry, why are you not in bed?" Regina asked her son. His eyes widened as he faced his mother's glare, but he did not retreat to his bedroom. His defiance was quite irritating. It was evidently an inherited trait.

"I had to stop you from poisoning her," he explained. "She's going to find my mom"

"Henry, let me be very clear. I am your mother. That woman did not raise you and she does not love you."

"Yes she does." Regina could hear the anger in her child's voice. Henry stormed off to his room.

"She doesn't even understand the most basic aspect of being a mother." Regina called after him. "Being there for your child. Why else would she have left you?"

Regina knew it was cruel, and she hated having to make him lose faith in his hero, but it was for the best. It was better to have him give up his hero now before he became too attached to her, before Emma had the chance to rip out his heart the way she had Regina's.


	5. Lingering in Ignition

Emma climbed into her car and put her key in the ignition. Her breath became more rapid and her grip on the steering wheel tightened. Emma's eyes shut and she tried to shut out the echoes of her past. The echoes of Regina.

She glanced back one last time at the house before shifting the gear from park to drive.

Henry was smiling at her from his window. He was much older than the Henry she had known, but still so young and naive. Still so vulnerable.  
Regina's eyes had burned with ferocity when Emma mentioned the boy. She was very protective of him. Emma didn't understand why Henry couldn't see that Regina loved him very much. Emma hoped that he wouldn't try to run away again.

Emma's eyes were starting to tear up and she pulled into the local diner. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and took a few deep breaths before exiting her car. She walked up to the counter. Hot Chocolate was a reasonable request, though the addition of cinnamon did earn her an odd glance. Whatever. Emma thought. It tasted good. Who cares what they think?

She took her drink and made her way over to a corner booth. It smelled so good. Then a waitress ran into her, spilling the hot chocolate, whipped cream, and cinnamon all over Emma's shirt.

"I am so sorry," the waitress apologized, grabbing a towel and trying to wipe Emma's shirt. "It's my first day and-"

"I got it." Emma grabbed the towel from her and proceeded to wipe her own shirt. She wasn't comfortable with strangers touching her.

"This was all my fault. I'll get you another drink."

Emma was still trying to dry her shirt with the towel when another waitress walked over.

"Sorry about Ashley. She's just…" the waitress paused, trying to think of a way to describe the situation without being rude.

"It's okay," Emma assured her.

"I'm Ruby, by the way."

"Emma."

"I can put your coco in one of those coffee to-go cups if you would like to go home and change."

"Actually, I don't really live around here."

"Oh, are you staying with family? Friends?"

"I'm just here to take care of some business."

"You know, my grandma owns a bed and breakfast if you need a place to stay."

"I hadn't really planned on staying long enough to need a bed."

"If you change your mind, it's just around the corner on Second Street. It looks like a big gray house, but there's a sign that says Granny's Bed and Breakfast."

"Wait, so your grandmother has a diner and a bed and breakfast?"

"Yeah, it's a bit redundant, I guess. Originally it was just the bed and breakfast, but I guess people liked the food so much that she decided to go into the restaurant business. Honestly, it's a lot more profitable. Storybrooke isn't really a tourist town, but there sure are a lot of hungry folks wanting a grilled cheese. Speaking of which, I'd better get back to work. It was nice meeting you, Emma."

After finishing her replacement cup of Hot Coco, Emma returned to her car and put the key in the ignition. What now? She wondered. The kid was back home. Mission accomplished.

But there was something preventing her from returning to her apartment. The way Henry's eyes lit up when she promised to find his birth mother.

Emma's whole live, she had been unwanted and unimportant. Rejected and misunderstood. Regina was the first person to really believe in her. To believe that she could be special. That she had a purpose. She turned the key.

As Emma pulled out of the parking lot, she spotted a building with a clocktower. Surprisingly, the clock was only on one side of the hexagonal tower. That seemed kind of stupid.  
A woman screamed and Emma's eyes shifted from the tower to a young woman in ridiculously tall heels trying to chase after the bearded man with the red beanie who stole her purse.

Emma honked at them and pressed the acceleration pedal, pursuing the thief.

The police didn't show up until Emma had shoved the man's face into her car and wrenched the bag from his hands.

"What's going on here?" the British officer asked as he stepped out of his car.

The lady with the heels finally caught up with them.

"Graham," she said with an interesting accent "he took my purse. This woman was just trying to help." Maybe Australian, Emma thought. Graham pulled out his cuffs.

"Who are you?" he asked Emma.

"I'm just Emma."

"Well, Just Emma, that was impressive. I could use a deputy like you."

"Thanks. I hope you find one." Emma started back towards her car.

"Wait," Graham grabbed her wrist and prevented her from stepping inside the vehicle. His grip wasn't tight enough to hurt her, but Emma's eyes remained fixed on her restraint until he let go, seeing that it was troubling her. "I wasn't just complimenting you. I was offering you the position."

"You just met me."

"Come on," he urged. "You took down this guy before I realized what was happening."

"I'm right here, guys." The man pointed out.

"Shut up Smee." The Sheriff commanded. Then he turned back to Emma. "Besides, weren't you also the one who returned the Mayor's son?"

"How did you know about that?"

"I'm the Sheriff. I was looking for him too, until the mayor informed me that her son had been returned by a blonde stranger and there was no need for me to keep looking."

"I'll think about it." Emma said, before finally climbing back into her car. Maybe there was no harm in staying one more day. It was getting late anyway. What did that girl say? A big gray house. Grandma's Bed and Breakfast? No. Granny's Bed and Breakfast.


	6. Darling Heartbreak

A knock on the door awakened Emma from her dreams. She had to find a dress for the spring formal that matched her eyes, but the doors kept teleporting and she couldn't find the right French class before the bell rang and the ant robots attacked. It made sense at the time, somehow. Logic works differently in dreams.

The knock came again.

"Ugghh" Emma moaned, getting out of bed to answer the door. Luckily she was still wearing the clothes from last night.

She opened the door.

"Yeah?" Emma asked, opening the door to face the visitor. No one was there. The boy cleared his throat and she looked down to face Henry. He smiled at her.

"How's it going?" his eyes sparkled with optimism.

"Huh?" Emma rubbed her eyes, still groggy.

"The search for my mom," he explained.

"Oh, yeah." Emma remembered.

"Have you found anything yet?"

"Well," Emma paused unsure how to proceed from this point. "It's a bit more tricky, finding someone without even a name. It might take a while."

"I think I can help with that, Emma." His face suddenly froze as if he had done something horribly wrong. "Is it bad for me to call you Emma, because you're a grown up?"

"It's fine, kid. You can call me Emma if you want. I don't mind."

"Good, because I would call you Miss Swan, like we're supposed to, but my mom calls you that, and she does it in her evil voice."

"Evil?" Emma asked. Henry nodded.

"She's the evil queen. You know, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Remember how she tried to poison you with that apple?"

Emma searched his face, looking for signs that he was joking or lying, but found nothing. He legitimately believed this.

"So I'm Snow White?" Emma asked, playing along with his delusion.

"Don't be silly. Snow White's hair is black as night. Yours is blonde." His eyes narrowed in thought. "But there must be some connection between you and Snow White, otherwise  
the Evil Queen wouldn't have used an apple to poison you. Maybe you're best friends or related somehow."

"Right…." Emma agreed. She checked the clock in her room. "Kid, don't you have school?"

His eyes widened and he looked at his watch. Then he hugged her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his cheek against her stomach.

"Goodbye Emma."

Just two words, and then he pulled away and bolted, probably to catch a school bus. It was just two words. So why could she feel her eyes tearing up? She hated strangers  
touching her. So why did she want so badly to have the boy come running back to her, wrap his arms around her and never let go?

Emma sat in her car, parked outside of Granny's Bed and Breakfast, staring at the number on her phone. It wasn't hard to get the number to the Sheriff's office.  
She could just set her phone aside and drive back to her apartment, leaving the town of Storybrooke forever. That was what Regina had suggested/commanded. That was the original plan. But that was before Henry had hugged her and spoken those two words. She couldn't leave him. Not again.

She pressed the call button.

"Sheriff Graham," Graham answered.

"Hey Graham, about that job. How much does it pay?" Emma asked.

"Why don't you come down to the station and we can discuss that?"

"How do I get there?"

"First go pick up some donuts."

"Seriously?"

"Sometimes clichés are true," he admitted.


	7. Blue Bowties and Silver Plated Lies

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:This is narrated by a 6 year old Henry (so it's obviously a flashback). Just a reminder. Regina Mills is running for Mayor of Storybrooke for the first time.**

 _"Stand still," Henry's mommy commanded as she tried to fix his bright blue bow tie._

 _"My collar's itchy." The six-year-old complained._

 _"You know how important this interview is to me. Every detail must be perfect, including your outfit."_

 _"Why?" He moaned._

 _"Because your outfit is an extension of yourself, and no one will respect you if you can't dress nicely."_

 _She made him sit still on the fancy couch that had been cleaned especially for this moment. The TV people came in and set up their equipment. It all looked really complicated and unnecessary. Then the interview guy started talking._

 _"I'm Hart Archer (Sproing!), here with our newest mayoral candidate, Regina Mills and…" he paused, looking at Henry and then Regina._

 _"My son Henry." Henry's mommy finished._

 _"…and her son Henry. I really like the color scheme you have going there, by the way. Lovely shade of blue."_

 _"Thank-you, Hart."_

 _Henry mumbled something about his pants. His mommy placed her arm around his shoulder and smiled for the camera. Then she started talking about leadership and family_  
 _values and community and a bunch of other things that didn't really mean anything to Henry. He tried to smile and act interested like she told him, but it was just so boring. He tried to see how far he could stick his tongue out, just to see if he could touch his nose like his friend Auggie. He couldn't. His mommy's grip tightened around his shoulder, her fancy nails poking his skin and telling him to stop. He did._

 _"So, Mrs. Mills-" the man started._

 _"Actually, it's just Ms. Mills." Henry's mommy corrected._

 _"Really?"_

 _"After I win the election, it will be Mayor Mills."_

 _"Already that confident, eh?"_

 _Then they started talking about the virtues of confidence and preparedness as opposed to blind faith or insecurity, most of which he toned out. A few moments later, everyone was looking at him, expecting him to answer a question that he didn't hear. He looked around nervously._

 _"What was that, Mr. Archer?" he asked as politely as he could._

 _"I asked if you wanted to leave. You look really bored and it's really just your mom that I want to talk to."_

 _Henry glanced at his mommy and nodded. She released her grip and he got up, leaving the room. He was about to climb up the stairs when he paused. They couldn't see him, but he could still hear them, and they were talking about him._

 _"I have a few questions for you, and I wasn't sure how comfortable you would be discussing some matters in front of your son."_

 _"I have nothing to hide," his mommy responded quickly._

 _"Good. Now, Mills. That's an interesting name. Did you keep your husband's name after the divorce or-"_

 _"I'm not divorced. No." She brushed hair away from her face. "Actually I was never married._

 _"Oh." The man raised his eyebrows at this. "And how did you family feel about your distasteful relations with the boy's father?"_

 _"I never had any interactions with Henry's birth father, distasteful or otherwise. I just adopted him."_

 _Why is Mommy lying to the man? Henry wondered. Then he realized the truth. She wasn't lying. He really was adopted. He ran up the stairs as quietly as he could and slammed his face into his pillow._  
 _After the interview was over, she came looking for him._

 _"Henry?" She called._

 _He didn't answer, but she still found him._

 _"Honey, what's wrong?" she placed a hand on her shoulder, but he pulled away._

 _"You don't have to pretend to care about me. The camera's off."_

 _"Henry, what are you talking about? Why wouldn't I care about you, huh? I'm your mother."_

 _"No you're not." He sniffed, wiping his nose with his jacket sleeve. He could see her tense at the action, wanting to preserve the cleanness of his clothes. "You lied to me."_

 _"You heard," she realized as she handed him a couple tissues._

 _"How could you never tell me?" Henry demanded._

 _"I didn't want to make a big deal about things. I've loved you since you were born. I just wasn't the one who gave birth to you. But I am still your mother, legally, emotionally, legitimately, and in my heart."_

 _She hugged him, and he hugged her back, but from that day forward, Henry always wondered what other secrets she had kept from him. Henry was never entirely sure when she was being honest with him._


	8. Operation Starling

"Is this your mom's?" Emma asked as she stepped out of the bathroom of Granny's wearing the silky blue shirt that Henry had given her. They were having an after school snack as Henry worked on his math worksheet. He was a good kid. Regina really had trained him well.

"She's never notice." The kid assured her. "Plus, you needed a clean shirt."

"Why?"

"Because your outfit is an extension of yourself. No one will respect you if you can't dress nicely." Emma smirked.

"Regina used to tell me that."

"What?" Henry asked, and Emma realized her mistake.

"Don't you have to get home, kid?" Emma asked, changing the subject.

"Not yet… Oh! I need to tell you, I've been gathering Intel for Operation Starling."

"Operation Starling?" Emma asked.

"Finding my birth mother is a covert operation," Henry explained. "I thought it would be best to use a code word."

"Yeah, but Starling?"

"It's a type of bird. My substitute teacher suggested it. She's Snow White."

"So what type of Intel did you find for Operation Starling?" Emma asked, declining to comment on the fact that he thought his teacher was Snow White.

"You said that it would be easier to find her if you had a name, so I figured that would be on my birth certificate. I did some snooping and I found a secret compartment in the wall  
of a closet."

"Lots of people have those."

"But inside was a safe for 'important documents.' If you can help me get it open, then we can look at my birth certificate and find out the name of my birth mother."

"I think there's a much better approach than breaking into your mom's safe."

"Like what?" Henry asked.

"Talking to her."

"You would do that?"

"You can do that."

"She's not going to tell me the truth." Henry protested. "If she even tells me anything," he added.

"Don't say that. Your mom loves you."

"She doesn't. She's evil."

"Look." Emma said, her voice commanding. "I brought you back home to a mother who truly cares for you, whether you can see that or not. No everyone has that. I certainly  
didn't."

"What are you talking about?" Henry asked as they exited the diner.

"Get in the car, kid. I'm taking you home."

"You know I have a name? It's Henry."

"Yeah kid, I know."

Apparently Regina had returned home earlier than Henry had expected, and she was not happy. But then again, Emma hadn't seen her happy in a long time.

"Miss Swan, I should have known that you would be behind my son's latest disappearance."

"I'm just here to bring him back, Madame Mayor."

The kid ran into the house, past his mother.

"Do your homework!" Regina called after him.

"He's a good kid," Emma told Regina.

"Why are you suddenly so interested in my son all of a sudden?"

"It's not just him." Emma said, taking a step closer to Regina. "I want to make things right between us too."

"Then perhaps you should get out of my town."

"Regina," Emma pleaded, tugging on the sleeve of Regina's blazer, trying to pull her close.

"Enjoy my shirt," Regina replied, wrenching her arm out of Emma's grasp. "Because that's all you're getting."


	9. Serenading Duplicity and Precious Rings

"Miss Swan," Regina sat down in the chair across from Emma and smiled politely over the newspaper Emma was reading at Granny's while drinking Hot Coco. "I see that you're still in Storybrooke. Might I ask why?"

"The kid."

"Don't mistake this as an invitation back into his life. You made a decision ten years ago-"

"No, I get that. I'm not trying to be his mom, but Regina, he wants to get to know me. You can see that it makes him happy. Isn't that what you want? For Henry to be happy?"

"Miss Swan, I hardly think that you can take credit for my son's happiness. His fascination with you is akin to that of a new toy, nothing more than that. Soon he tire of you.  
Although, I don't expect you to stay long anyway. That was never your forte." She smiled again. "Enjoy your coco, Miss Swan."

"I will, Madame Mayor."

Emma remembered a time when Regina wasn't constantly consumed with bitterness, when her smiles were genuine and her eyes were kind. A long time ago.

* * *

 _Emma sat in the living room of the apartment she shared with Regina, strumming her guitar and singing Taylor Swift Songs._

 _'Elevator buttons and morning air._  
 _Stranger's silence makes me want to take the stairs._  
 _If you were here, we'd laugh about their vacant stares._  
 _But right now, my time is theirs.'_

 _Regina woke up and slowly walked out of her bedroom. She smiled when she saw Emma singing and sat down on the couch to watch her._

 _'Seems like there's always someone who disapproves_  
 _They'll judge it like they know about me and you,_  
 _And the verdict comes from those with nothing else to do._  
 _The jury's out, but my choice is you.'_

 _Emma loved serenading her girlfriend, which was a good thing because Regina loved to be serenaded._

 _'So don't you worry your pretty little mind._  
 _People throw rocks at things that shine,_  
 _And life makes love look hard._  
 _The stakes are high. The water's rough._  
 _But this love is ours.'_

 _"I love it when you sing," Regina said. Emma sighed. Now was as good a time as ever._

 _"Regina, I have something to tell you."_

 _"Is something wrong? You seem really nervous."_

 _"I've been putting this off for a while, waiting for the right moment." She breathed in deeply._

 _"If it would be better, you can tell me later. I wouldn't want to stress you out."_

 _"No, I-I need to get this out." Emma took another deep breath and reached into her left jacket pocket. Panic rose in her eyes as she checked her right pocket and found nothing._  
 _She froze for a second and began frantically looking around the room. She checked the pocket of her other jacket and breathed a sigh of relief._

 _"Found what you were looking for?" Regina asked._

 _"Yeah."_

 _"Are you going to show me?"_

 _"Close your eyes." Regina did as she was told. "Okay, now open them."_

 _Regina opened her eyes to find Emma down on one knee holding a little box with a golden ring inside. Regina's eyes opened wide in surprise. Her mouth hung half open._

 _"Regina, will you marry me?" Emma asked. "I know, that's not much of a speech, but I thought that with the song-"_

 _Regina stopped her mouth with a kiss._

 _"So, is that a yes?" Emma asked. Regina smiled._

 _"Yes."_

 _Emma slipped the ring on Regina's left hand. Regina brought her hand closer to her face and examined the ring._

 _"I know, there's no diamond."_

 _"My precious," Regina hissed in a deep raspy voice, clutching her hand close to her chest._

* * *

Emma stood up, lost in her memories, and split her hot chocolate all over her shirt.

"Really?" she asked, to no one in particular. Ruby rushed over with a towel, smirking.

"Maybe I really should start serving your drinks in a coffee to-go cup. You seem to spill your drinks when they don't have a lid."


	10. Pseudo Rapprochement

Emma walked into the town meeting and was surprised to see all the citizens who showed up without being forced to attend against their will because they were deputy (like Emma).

She was drawn out of her pouting by a familiar voice.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret cried as she threw her arms around her friend.

"It's only been a few weeks," David started.

"But it feels like much longer," Emma finished.

"I hear you're the deputy." Snow said, encouraging Emma to speak.

"Yeah," Emma replied, pointing to her badge. "A lot's happened. But it looks like that's the case for you as well."

"I'm working at the animal shelter and Mary Margaret's a teacher," David stated.

"I'm training to be a teacher," Mary Margaret clarified. "But I did fill in as a substitute the other day. Actually, I talked to that boy of yours. He's real sweet."

"Yeah," Emma smiled softly.

"So, what about the rest of your…family?"

"I…uh…" Emma started.

"Family?" David asked.

Are you alright, Emma? Mary Margaret asked, concerned.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Emma blurted out before rushing off.

She splashed some water on her face and took a few deep breaths. She was okay, she told herself. No need to panic. No danger. She reached for a paper towel, but there were  
none, so she simply shook her hands, flinging water droplets all over the woman behind her who had just stepped out of the stall.

A panicked Emma spun around to face Regina.

Regina's brown eyes burned with a rage that chilled Emma's bones and made her want to run. But there was something else in her eyes that held Emma close. Something so unlikely that Emma thought she had misunderstood at first, until Regina grabbed the collar of Emma's red leather jacket and pulled her close, pressing their lips together in a heat of passion. Her lips tasted like watermelon flavored bubble gum. Her tongue traced over the back of Emma's front teeth and the roof of her mouth. Then it all ended as Regina pulled away, slightly horrified with what she had done, and reactivated her Madame Mayor.

"Don't act like this changes anything, Miss Swan" Regina growled, leaving Emma alone in the bathroom.

Emma placed the tips of her fore and index fingers on her lips, feeling where Regina had kissed her. Her mind was too preoccupied with the sensation of Regina's kiss that she hardly noticed that Regina had forgotten to tell her to enjoy something.

After a few minutes, Emma exited the bathroom and rejoined Mary Margaret and David who were listening to the Mayor talk about the terrors of vandalism, something about tax revenue, and the safety of the children of Storybrooke.

"Are you wearing lipstick?" Mary Margaret asked Emma in a whisper.

"Huh?" Emma asked, confused. But then she saw the red on her fingers and understood that it had come from Regina's lips.

"It's all smudged," Mary Margaret pointed out. "Here, let me get that." She pulled a napkin out of her purse and tried to wipe Emma's lips, but Emma leaned away.

"It's fine. Really." Emma wiped some more of it away with the back of her hand.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine," Emma promised. Mary Margaret didn't look convinced, but she let Emma be and turned back to face the speaker.


	11. An Air of Secrecy Blown Away

Henry had just finished teaching Emma their secret handshake when he realized that he was going to be late if he didn't enter the school building.

"It's nice to see you two together," Mrs. Nolan said to Henry as he walked into the classroom. Apparently she was subbing again.

"Do you know her?" Henry asked, a bit surprised. Not only by the fact that teachers can have friends and personal lives, but also by the fact that Emma never mentioned knowing  
Mrs. Nolan.

"Emma Swan? She was the maid of honor at my wedding."

"So you're really good friends?" he asked. Why had Emma never told him?

"We used to be roommates. I was actually the one to suggest that she go find you. Of course I had no idea at the time that you were her son."

"Emma's my birth mother?"

"Of course. Didn't you know that already?"

* * *

 _"Maybe we can use this flower arrangement," Regina suggested pointing to a picture, "but it would work a lot better with a black dress. Do you think I can wear a black dress?"_

 _"Regina," Emma said._

 _"Because I know that wedding dresses are usually just white, but I think black is really my color."_

 _"Regina," Emma said again._

 _"Yes dear?"_

 _"We can't do this."_

 _"Fine." Regina conceded. "I guess I make the white dress work, but we'll have to get different flowers."_

 _"No. I mean all of this."_

 _Regina sat down and took Emma's hands in hers._

 _"What's wrong?" Regina asked._

 _"I'm pregnant." Emma admitted._

 _Regina eyes widened, her face frozen with shock like a buffering video._

 _"Don't be silly dear." Regina said, regaining her composure. "Our fooling around wouldn't-"_

 _"I wish it were you who made me pregnant, Regina. But it's not."_

 _Regina let go of Emma's hands and eyed her suspiciously._

 _"What happened?" Regina asked._

 _"I-I" was all Emma could get out before her voice caught in the back of her throat, choked out by sobs._

 _"Emma, what happened?" Regina demanded._

 _"I messed up. I-I'm sorry."_

 _"You're sorry?" Regina scoffed. "When did this even happen?"_

 _"About a month ago."_

 _"So it never crossed your mind that to mention it? Not until you were sure that you wouldn't be able to keep this secret?"_

 _"I tried to tell you."_

 _"When?"_

 _"When I proposed. I was going to tell you, but I couldn't bring myself to do so. I was afraid I would lose you."_

 _"Yeah," Regina scoffed as she walked out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her._

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me?" Henry demanded as he and Regina were eating dinner.

"Young man, I would appreciate it if you did not take that tone with me."

"Emma is my birth mother. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Henry," Regina breathed, hardly strong enough to blow out like a candle.

"You knew this whole time, didn't you?"

Regina said nothing.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why don't you ever tell me anything?"

"I was going to."

"No you weren't," Henry protested. "You weren't going to tell me that I was adopted, and you weren't going to tell me that the woman who brought me back here is the same  
woman who gave birth to me."

She didn't say anything. Her mouth hung half-open. Henry got up from the table without asking to be excused, taking his plate and dumping it in the sink. He didn't even bother to wash off the spaghetti sauce and load it into the dishwasher like he was supposed to. He just left his mother alone at the table and climbed up the stairs to his room.

But Henry was too upset to care.


	12. Playing These Games

"Sheriff," Regina said, smiling as she stepped into Graham's office.

"Is something wrong, Madame Mayor?" he asked as she walked across the room towards him.

"Oh, no. I just came to see you."

Her fingertips trailed up his arm lightly. She stared into his eyes seductively for a few moments before pressing her lips against his lightly. He returned her kiss much more hungrily than she had anticipated. She pulled away.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his puppy dog eyes begging for more.

"This is terribly inappropriate," she pointed out.

Graham's face fell.

"I just think that we should continue this someplace more…comfortable." Regina explained. "How about you come over to my house for dinner? Henry's having dinner with his  
therapist, so we'll be all alone."

"Why not now? I can get Emma to-" he started, but Regina dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

"There's no need to bring deputy Swan into this. Be at my house by 6."

Emma rang the doorbell of the mayor's house. Ever since Henry had found out that Emma was his birth mother, Regina had been allowing them to spend more time together.

"Deputy Swan, what are you doing here?" Regina asked, opening the door.

"You said that I could take Henry out to dinner tonight."

"Oh, did I forget to cancel?" Regina asked with mock remorse. "I apologize, Miss Swan. Henry has other engagements this evening."

"Regina," a male voice called from inside. Graham emerged from the side and pressed his lips against Regina's ear. "I just rescued your lasagna from being burnt."

"My hero." Regina lifted her face up to his and he kissed her, completely oblivious to Emma's presence.

"I'll… just… go… then." Emma said, feeling very awkward.

"Emma!" Graham exclaimed, pulling away. "Sorry, I didn't notice you."

"Yeah, well, you had other…engagements," Emma responded blushing. She turned away and started towards her car. Graham

"It's a nice evening, Miss Swan. Enjoy that."

"How long do we have before Henry comes home?" Graham asked, his fingers playing with the button on his shirt, as if waiting for permission to remove it.

"Not very long." Regina replied. "In fact, you should probably go."

"When does Henry go to bed?" Graham implored.

"That's not important."

"I could come back, maybe spend the night sometime?" He asked hopefully.

"But then who would keep the streets of Storybrooke safe at night?"

"I could have Emma-" Graham started to say.

"Enough with Deputy Swan!" Regina shouted, interrupting him. "Can you even go five minutes without mentioning her?"

"I didn't realize you two had such a strained relationship."

"We don't have a relationship and we never did. I'm just sick of hearing my date talk about another woman all night."

"I'm sorry," Graham tried to apologize, but he didn't sound very convincing. Mostly just confused. Regina walked Graham to the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, sheriff."

He smiled and leaned in for a goodbye kiss. She obliged, pressing her lips against his. Then he walked out into the night.


	13. Amends

"Regina." Emma said as the woman walked into their apartment. "What are you doing here?"

"I do live here." She said in a somewhat condescending tone.

"Yeah but I thought you were…"

"Upset with you? I am, but as I said, I do live here."

"If you want me to leave…"

"No, that's alright, dear. I actually wanted to talk to you." Emma braced herself for scolding and yelling, but  
instead Regina just smiled softly. "I'm sorry."

"Regina, you didn't do anything. It's me who should apologize."

"And you already did that. It's my turn now. I'm sorry that I've been working so much lately. I'm sorry that you feel lonely. I'm not excusing your actions, but I understand, and I should have forgiven you when you told me the truth. Instead I made things worse."

"No, you shouldn't have. Not only did I mess up, but I didn't tell you. You have every right to be angry with me."

"Yeah, maybe I shouldn't forgive you."

"Hey, wait a second."

"Kidding. Look," Regina's tone became more serious. "I love you. I'm not happy with what you did, but I know  
that you're sorry. And so I forgive you. Because that's what you do when you're in love. That's how you move  
forward."

Graham walked into the sheriff's office to find Emma throwing a dart and failing.  
She looked over to find him smirking.

"What?" she demanded.

"You're really bad at this."

"Oh, and you're better?"

He walked over to her and plucked a dart from her hand. He took a step back and his eyes narrowed, like a  
scope focusing on a target. Then he threw the dart with perfect precision.

"I guess some of us just focus on our jobs instead of our dart skills." Emma pointed out.

"You're just jealous."

"Sure," Emma said sarcastically. "I am extremely jealous of your dart skills and your British accent and your  
scruffy face and your hot girlfriend. If only your life was mine."

Graham's face tightened at the mention of Regina.

"Look, about Regina…" He started.

"I really don't care," Emma interrupted bitterly, momentarily stunning Graham. Then her tone softened.

"Sorry, it's just… really weird. Can we just not talk about it?"

"If that's what you want."


	14. As Red as Blood

Mary Margaret was about to knock on the door to Emma's room at the bed and breakfast when she heard the music of a guitar. She had never heard Emma sing before.

'Touching her was like realizing all you ever wanted was right there in front of you.  
Memorizing her was as easy as knowing all the words to your old favorite song.  
Fighting with her was like trying to solve a crossword and realizing there's no right answer.  
Regretting her was like wishing you never found out that love could be that strong.  
Losing her was blue like I never know,  
Missing her was dark gray all alone,  
Forgetting her was like trying to know somebody you never met,  
But loving her was red.'

Then Mary Margaret's text alert went off and the music stopped as Emma realized she was not alone.  
Emma opened the door, looking both critical and sheepish.

"Sorry," Mary Margaret apologized. "I should have knocked. I just didn't want to interrupt." She paused. "I've  
never heard you sing before.

"I don't sing for other people." Emma announced, trying to conceal a blush, as she walked away from the  
door, letting Mary Margaret enter.

"I brought you a pie," Mary Margaret said.

"Is it an apple pie?"

"How did you know?"

"You guys have some weird obsession with apples here. Regina brought me this huge basket of them  
earlier." Emma motioned over to the basket of apples.

"They look delicious."

"Yeah." Emma smirked. "It wasn't until after she left that I realized I was still in my underwear."

"That's awkward." Mary Margaret said. Emma shrugged.

"She's seen worse." Emma didn't elaborate. "She was going on and on about how me leaving town is best for  
everyone. I don't know, maybe she's right."

"What about Henry?" Mary Margaret asked. "He just found you. He would be heartbroken."

"But I can't stay here forever. Sooner or later, I'm going to leave. Probably find a new apartment-"

"New apartment? What happened to ours?"

"I couldn't really afford the place without another roommate, and since the month's lease had expired anyway when you left, I just put most of my stuff in storage and hit the road to look for the kid."

"I am so sorry, Emma." Mary Margaret clasped a hand over her mouth. "I had no idea."

"It's no big deal. You were busy with marriage stuff."

"I should have at least helped you find a new roommate."

"It's cool, really. I'm better off on my own."

"Are you sure that you don't want to stay with me and David until you find another apartment?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, you guys just got married and probably want to be alone."

"No, Emma. I insist. We have a spare room for you. It'll be my way of making it up to you."

"Wouldn't that just be awkward? The three of us?"

"Of course not. I love you, David loves you. You're part of the family, like… our daughter."

"I'm not a child," Emma said with concealed anger.

"No, no, of course not. But we're your friends. Anytime you need to talk or have a meal or a bed or anything,  
just ask. Don't shut me out. Please. I know something's bothering you and I know that your first response to trouble is running, but I really don't think that's best, for you or for Henry. Just stay one more week. He deserves to get to know you."


	15. Impressions

_"Yes mother," Regina said into the phone. Emma sat awkwardly at her chair, eating lunch as her fiancée spoke to her mother. Emma could only hear one side of the conversation, and it seemed somewhat pleasant, but Emma could see the truth behind Regina's mask of pleasantries and friendly tone._

 _"Of course."_

 _Another pause._

 _"I understand completely."_

 _Regina smiled a fake smile. Emma wasn't sure why, as her mother was on the phone and couldn't see her._

 _"Thank-you for telling me."_

 _After she hung up, Regina's mask disappeared completely._

 _"Uggggh!" Regina screamed in frustration._

 _"What's wrong?" Emma asked, smirking at Regina's rage. Regina took a deep breath._

 _"My own mother does not wish to attend my wedding." Emma's smirk faded._

 _"You can't be serious."_

 _"No, I am. I told her that she didn't have to be in the wedding, but she doesn't even want to attend."_

 _"Are you sure that's what she meant? Maybe she just had a scheduling conflict, or-"_

 _"She doesn't want to attend the wedding no matter when or where it is, and she made that very clear, Emma,_  
 _but I can call her back if you would like to hear it from her."_

 _"No." Emma said quickly, knowing all too well how scary Regina's mother could be._

 _"Look, I know what she said. All this stuff about it being 'improper' and 'indecent.'"_

 _"Because of the baby?"_

 _"No, she doesn't know about the baby, and I don't plan on telling her anytime soon. If at all."_

 _"Then what?"_

 _"Because of you."_

 _"What did I do?"_

 _"Well Emma, you just have this nasty habit of being a woman."_

 _"Sorry?" Emma apologized._

 _"And on top of that, you're not part of the European aristocracy."_

 _Emma held some of her blonde hair over her lip, as a fake mustache._

 _"What are you talking about, my darling?" She asked in the accent of a British man. "I am Lord Daniel, the 8th_  
 _richest man in Denmark." Regina laughed._

 _"Then why are you British?" Regina asked. Emma ignored the question._

 _"I think it's time for high tea, my darling. Shall I ring the butler? I will be late for my polo match is we cannot hurry things along."_

 _"Now maybe if I just introduce you to my mom like that…"_

 _They both collapsed into laughing fits. It was easy to laugh with Emma about these things. But they both_  
 _knew that there would be people who didn't understand their love, people consumed with ignorance and prejudice who would reject them for how they felt about each other. And they both knew how much Regina wanted her mother to approve of her and Emma. But it was easy to make jokes and laugh about these things, because then they didn't have to face the seriousness._

 _"You know, my mom tried to marry me off once." Regina said._

 _"Seriously? How old were you?"_

 _"Probably around… thirteen? She gave me all these lectures about etiquette and dressed me up in a pretty princess dress to meet the ambassador from some European country. She kept talking to the ambassador about how I would make a perfect wife for his son and-"_

 _"And what did he say?" Emma inquired._

 _"He explained that his son was like 20 something, but she didn't care. Then he explained that his son was already engaged to another girl and you could just see the anger boiling in her eyes behind her smiling face."_

 _"Your mom's…" Emma trailed off, trying to think of an adjective to describe Cora Mills._

 _"Yeah," Regina agreed._

 _"Your dad's still coming though, right?" Emma asked, getting up from her chair._

 _Regina nodded._

 _"Good," Emma said as she grabbed a bottle from the fridge and sat back down in her seat, "because we need_  
 _at least one parent there."_

 _"What do you think you're doing?" Regina demanded._

 _"Having a beer."_

 _"Not while you're pregnant," Regina responded, snatching the bottle away from Emma._

 _"Hey!"_

 _"You can have a Root beer," Regina explained, replacing Emma's alcoholic beverage with a soda can._

 _Emma made a sour face, but grabbed the can placed in front of her. Emma made a failed attempt to try to_  
 _get the tab of before holding the can out to Regina, like a little kid in a school lunchroom asking a teacher for help opening her fruit cup._

 _Regina sighed and opened the can for Emma._

 _"Is there anything else you need?" Regina asked._

 _"Another grilled cheese sandwich?" Emma asked hopefully. Regina rolled her eyes._

 _"You eat like a child," Regina pointed out as she opened the package of bread._


	16. Heartless Apathy

_"It's a boy, Emma," the doctor said from inside the room as he cradled the newborn in his arms._

 _"You have to let me in," Regina commanded._

 _"Miss, you can't go in there," the nurse tried to restrain Regina from entering the room. "Family only. You'll have to wait outside."_

 _"But that's my fiancée," Regina protested._

 _The nurse raised an eyebrow at the word fiancée and looked at the doctor as if awaiting a permission from a higher authority, unsure of what to do, but the doctor was preoccupied with the infant and his mother, so Regina just pushed the confused nurse out of the way._

 _"Just so you know Emma," the doctor said. "You can change your mind."_

 _"No," Emma shook her head. "I can't be a mother."_

 _"Wait," Regina pleaded. "Let me hold him."_

 _The doctor hesitantly placed the squirming infant in Regina's arms. Her face lit up as she held the tiny human. He had a little blanket around him and Emma's little freckles around his nose by his eyes._

 _"He's beautiful, Emma." Regina said softly, looking up at her fiancée. Emma just stared back at her, her face stained with apathy._

 _Regina didn't understand how Emma couldn't see it._

 _"Do you have a name picked out?" The doctor asked Emma._

 _"Henry," Regina answered. She had had that name picked out ever since they found out that it was a boy, but she had held off on telling Emma about it. Emma was never too excited about the baby and didn't really care what name it got. Regina hoped that Emma would feel differently about him once she saw him in person. Once she held him in her arms. Once she fell in love with him._

 _But she didn't._

* * *

"You're so beautiful," Graham told Regina in the candle light. He had taken her to a nice restaurant for their date.

At first, it was just about showing off. About Henry's attachment to Emma and showing Miss Swan that she had a boy who adored her as well. At first it was about jealousy, about keeping the sheriff as a status symbol, as a trophy in a case. Miss Swan may have won Henry, but Regina had Graham.  
But in dating Graham, Regina realized how much she missed this, just talking and laughing, having someone hold her in their arms and tell her how amazing she is. Someone who loved her.

And as he walked to her door and kissed her in the moonlight, Regina closed her eyes and tried to pretend like the lips that touched hers belonged to someone else. And she hated herself for feeling that way.  
It wasn't that she didn't like Graham. He had a nice accent, he was cute, and he was sweet, but Regina didn't harbor feelings for him the way he did her. To her, their kisses were simply mechanical, pushing one piece of flesh against another, like a more intimate version of a high five. Her heart didn't beat any faster, the world didn't glow any brighter, and her smile didn't grow any wider. And it killed her inside, her apathy.

She really wanted to love Graham. He was sweet and cute and smelled nice. He was smart and sensitive and cared about Henry. She knew that she could trust him. She enjoyed being loved by him, but she didn't love him. It made her feel empty, like she didn't have a heart inside her chest. She tried to fall in love with Graham.

But she didn't.

* * *

 _"Welcome to your new home, Henry" Regina said in a baby voice that was very unlike her._

 _"Temporarily," Emma added, wanting to make it very clear that they were not going to keep this thing for long. Regina couldn't bear to let him out of her arms, but Emma couldn't handle being a mother, so they compromised on keeping the baby until it's done breastfeeding, and then giving it up for adoption. It's like that with pet adoptions too. You have to wait until the kitten is old enough to be separated from its mother before you can bring it into your home._

 _Luckily they had discussed temporarily keeping the child before and already had some baby stuff, like a crib for it to sleep in._

 _"Look at his eyes, Emma."_

 _"What about them? They're just brown."_

 _"I think hazel would be a better word for them. See, if you look closely, you can see little bits of green. That must be from you."_

 _"Really?" Emma asked, leaning closer to get a better look. Regina was right._

 _"He has you freckles too."_

 _"I do not have freckles." Emma protested before the baby burst into a crying scream._

 _Regina spent a while trying to pacify it while Emma stood there, feeling useless. Emma decided to lie down on her bed. She was tired. She watched the bedroom door impatiently, waiting for Regina to come through it. Eventually she did. Regina lay down next to Emma and nuzzled her neck._

 _Regina's cold hands tickled Emma, and the blonde squealed. Regina smirked and continued, accidentally making Emma fall off the bed._

 _Regina leaned over to check on Emma, who was still laughing._

 _Then the infant's wailing began, and Regina retracted the arm she had extended to Emma as she rushed away to pacify it. Emma placed her hands over her ears and slowly stood up, without Regina's help._

 _"When will it stop?" Emma asked, having to nearly shout to be heard. Regina picked it up and started speaking softly._

 _"Henry, it's okay." He kept screaming. Regina carried him over to Emma. "Your mommy's here." She tried to put the wailing infant in Emma's arms._

 _"No," Emma said, holding her arms up in defense._

 _"He wants you. Just feed him or something."_

 _"I don't know how to be a mom." Emma protested. "I'll probably just drop him."_

 _Regina made Emma sit down on and placed Henry in Emma's lap. Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's, showing her how hold the baby and support his head. Amazingly, its crying died down. It did not stop entirely, but conversation became easier._

 _"He's hungry, Emma," Regina insisted._

 _"Can't you feed him? Don't you have lactic glands-or whatever those are called?"_

 _"Mammary glands?"_

 _"Yeah, that."_

 _"Emma, if you paid attention in middle school biology, you would know that only your breasts are actually producing milk."_

 _There was no use arguing with that, so Emma did as she was told._

 _"Ow!" Emma said, pulling the child off her. "He bit me."_

 _"He doesn't even have teeth."_

 _It started crying again._

 _"I'm done. You take him." Emma placed the crying infant in Regina's arms and walked into her bedroom, covering her ears with a pillow, trying to block out its cries._


	17. Tears of Tree Leaves

_Regina had been studying, as usual. Her mother had enrolled her in law school with high hopes that she would become a judge or politician, possibly even president. Her mother was very ambitious and she believed that she could live through Regina. Regina didn't really want to be president. All that power would be very stressful. Besides, the job only lasted at most 8 years. Regina wanted a solid profession. She agreed to law school. She could become a lawyer. She was good at arguing and loved being right._

 _Of course Emma complained about her studying habits. She would criticize always Regina for not having enough fun._

 _On this particular day, it happened to be pouring rain. So of course Emma just had to grab Regina by the hands and led her outside into downpour so that they could dance around like little kids._  
 _Emma always did know how to make Regina smile. She had a carefree childlike spirit._

 _Grasping hands, they spun in circles, orbiting around an invisible star between them. Their clothes became drenched as their heads became dizzy._

 _Having left their shoes inside, they ran on the concrete ground with bare feet, splashing in puddles and laughing for no reason but sheer enjoyment. Regina opened her mouth and let the precipitation hit her tongue. Her mother would not approve, but Regina didn't care. She was in college. She was a grown-up now. She could make her own choices, and if she wanted to play in the rain with Emma, splashing and giggling like a little kid, then she would._

 _Nothing could stop her._

 _Then the rain stopped, as if the universe was trying to tell her that she could never escape from its control. That she was never really free. Never truly in control._

 _Emma stood under the branch of a small tree and pulled Regina close to her so they were both covered by the foliage. Emma reached up and shook the branch, allowing the raindroplets of leaves to shower them so the fun didn't have to end with the rain._

 _Emma had always dwelt in a separate sphere of existence. One where anything was possible with the right amount of creativity and ingenuity._

 _But nothing can last forever. Even with the globules of water stuck to the leaves, the girls were bound to run out of branches at some point._

 _Finally, they stood underneath the last branch, brown eyes fixed on green. Regina's left hand grasped the thin branch, and Emma's right hand wrapped around Regina's left hand. Their mouths pressed together as the last raindroplets fell upon them, showering their heads with tears of tree leaves as they kissed. Regina hardly noticed when the water stopped falling._

* * *

Henry stretched his arms out as he spun faster and faster, throwing his head back and letting the rain hit his face.

Then it stopped, as suddenly as it had begun. No more rain. No more play. No more fun. Henry's face fell.

"That's okay, kid." She leaned close and whispered into his ear. "I know a secret. Watch this."

Emma reached up and shook the branch of the apple tree, watching Henry's face light up as the raindrops fell.

"Henry, have you finished your homework?" Regina asked, her voice radiating from the open doorway.

Henry looked down at his shoes, which were covered in mud, refusing to answer his mother. It was clear that the answer was no.

"Kid, go do your homework." Emma told him.

Henry walked inside. He was making a show of only listening to Emma, his 'real' mother. Sometimes Emma wanted so badly to tell him the truth. That if anyone was going to be shunned for being evil or a bad mother, then is should be Emma. But Regina didn't want him to know anything, choosing instead to ignore the past.

"Take off your shoes," Regina called after him.

He didn't listen to her, proceeding to track mud onto the clean floor.

"Miss Swan," Regina began, "if your intention was to dirty my son's clothing, then I would say you have succeeded."

"I was just trying to make him happy."

"I can see the misunderstanding. You never stick around long enough to clean up the messes you make."

"I'm just trying to fix things."

"Miss Swan, for the last decade, while you've been, well whatever it is you've been doing, I've changed every diaper, soothed every fever, endured every tantrum. You may have given birth to him, but he is my son. I know what's best for Henry."

"I'm not trying to be his mom, Reg-Madame Mayor. I just thought maybe I could be his friend."

"Maybe you should consider a clean break instead. It's going to happen anyway. Better before he gets too attached."

Regina claimed to ignore the past, and she may have wanted to, but she didn't move on. Emma could see the anger in her eyes, the bitterness that stained her face, that tried to keep Emma away from Henry. At first, Emma wanted nothing to do with Henry. He was just a reminder of the mistakes she made and the past she had tried so hard to forget. But when he hugged her, it tore down a wall and opened her heart. And now she just didn't want to let him go. But Emma worried what would happen if she stayed. She feared that a day would come when Henry would look at her the way Regina did, his eyes filled with hatred, his face stained with bitterness caused by Emma.

"I'm really sorry for that." Emma tried to apologize. "I never should have-"

"Miss Swan, I believe we agreed that we had no previous interactions."

"Yeah, but I'm still sorry, Regina, for everything. Even if it didn't happen."

"Enjoy the water." Regina quickly turned, as if to conceal tears in her eyes, and rapidly walked back into her house.


	18. Precarious Venom

"I want her arrested." Regina told Graham in a commanding voice as they stood watching Emma and Henry.

"For what?" Graham asked.

"She's trying to steal my son from me and she's highly immature. I'm sure you can find some charge to levy against her."

"Even ignoring the legality issues with that, I'm not convinced that arresting her is the best way to approach this situation." He wouldn't take a step against that woman.

"I think your schoolboy crush is clouding your judgment."

"Are you sure that it's me who has feelings for Emma?" Regina was taken aback.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I think you know exactly what I mean." The man said, sounding more like Gold than Graham. Then with a wry smile he added, "Madame Mayor."

She met his gaze with a fiery glare.

"Let's not forget that I made you sheriff," she pointed out. "And I can take that away just as easily."

She expected him to back down, to submit to her authority. But he just turned and walked away.

* * *

 _"It's so shiny Mommy," Henry said, holding the golden ring in his little fingers._

 _"Henry, be careful with that. It's very precious."_

 _"My precious," he mimicked Golem before handing it back to her._

 _"Is it your wedding ring?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Don't they usually have diamonds?"_

 _"This ring is different than the others because it's a very special ring."_

 _"What was my Daddy like?" Henry asked, with the curiosity of a child._

 _"What?"_

 _"I know I have one. Auggie says that everyone has a Daddy, even if he's not here."_

 _"Right. Well, your father had these beautiful green eyes."_

 _"Was his hair brown like mine?"_

 _"Naturally."_

 _"What was his name? What was his job?"_

 _"His name was…Daniel, and he played polo."_

 _"What's polo?"_

 _"It's a sport where you get to ride horses."_

 _"Cool. Did you have horses at your wedding?"_

 _"We didn't really have a wedding."_

 _"Why not?"_

 _"We were going to, but…" she hesitated, unsure what to say. "He died."_

 _"I'm sorry Mommy. It must make you sad to talk about him."_

 _"Yeah."_

* * *

There was a knock on the mayor's door. Regina opened it to find Emma standing there, her blonde curls, falling on her red leather jacket.

"I think that this… whatever is between us, needs to end. I'm leaving town." The words shocked Regina. For a second she forgot how to breathe. This is what she wanted, she reminded herself. But she felt like a  
piece of her heart had broken off. And she hated herself for feeling that way. Which is why Emma has to leave.

"If you wish to speak to my son-"

"I already said goodbye to Henry. He complained, but-"

"So you came here to what? Say goodbye to me?"

"I needed to do it in person this time. Just leaving you a note was-"

"Miss Swan, I really don't believe that now is the time for-"

"Really? You won't even let me talk about it to say I'm sorry, even though this is my last day in Storybrooke?"

"The past isn't something that I wish to dwell on."

"Then why do you wear that ring around your neck?" Emma asked, prompting Regina to glance down at her necklace. Regina removed it and stared at the ring for a moment.

"To remind myself never to trust someone again," she retorted, thrusting the jewelry into Emma's hand and closing the door. Regina leaned her back against the door and sank to the floor, clutching her knees  
to her chest.


	19. Candor

Henry poked at his dinner with his fork, refusing to eat.

"Honey, eat your dinner." The queen commanded.

"What if I don't wanna?"

"It doesn't really matter what you want."

"It never does," Henry mumbled, just loud enough for her to hear. He expected her to ignore him, to grit her teeth and pretend he didn't say anything. But instead, she calmly put down her fork and fixed her eyes on him with a terrifying evil queen death glare that made him want to run and hide in the darkness. But he didn't back down. He met her glare, trying to keep the terror from showing on his face.

"I know you think otherwise, but all I'm doing it trying to protect you."

"You're trying to protect yourself, stealing Sheriff Graham's heart, sending away Emma." Henry was afraid that her fiery eyes would burn deeper into his soul if he called Emma mother.

"You will not speak to me that way, Henry Mills."

He gritted his teeth.

"You think that Miss Swan's departure has anything to do with me?"

He made a face like, well duh.

"What do you want from me?" she asked

"I want the truth! I want you to be honest with me. I don't want you to lie to my face."

She stood up.

"Fine," she breathed. "What do you want to know?"

Henry tensed, suspecting a trap.

"What do you want to know?" She repeated.

"What do you keep in your safe?" he asked.

She led him to the closet, and he helped her move the boxes in front of the not so secret door.

"See?" she asked, opening the safe. "No hearts, no curse, no poison apples."

She was right. All he could see was paper. Neatly filed in folders and some in envelopes.

His mother gave him a I told you so glare as Henry rifled through the papers. But there was no incriminating evidence or evil spells. It didn't make sense. Had he really been wrong this  
whole time? His eyes rested on a single photograph and he pulled it out from beneath the papers.

"What's this?" Henry asked. Regina's eyes widened and she tried to take the photo away, but Henry moved it out of her grasp and held on to it. He looked directly at his mother, testing her to see if she would try to lie to him again. She lowered her hand.

He studied the photograph of his mother.

It was different than any other photo he had seen of her. She was younger, of course, but that wasn't the strange part. She had been caught mid-laugh, not even facing the camera, like it didn't even matter. Her attention had been diverted by the blonde woman kissing her cheek.

"Is that Emma?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Regina hesitantly nodded.

"When was this taken?"

"Maybe… 15 years ago?"

"So, you knew Emma before I was born?"

"Yes."

"This is…" he started, his face contorting with confusion "…odd." He said finally.

"Why? Because love can only be between a prince and a princess, a man and a woman, and two women can never had a happily ever after because it's somehow morally wrong?" She asked bitterly.

"I-I wasn't going to say that."

"Really?" she stared to become angry. "Because that's what I've been told my whole life. By bullies, by bigots, by my own mother. Even by nice but ignorant people who don't mean to say the words they say. But it's my life, not theirs."

"I was going to say that you looked happy." His answer stunned her. "Not forcing a smile for a camera, or delighting in someone else's misery, but genuinely happy."

Regina didn't know what to say. She just sat there, not saying anything. Henry handed his mother the photograph and helped her replace the documents in the safe.

"Thanks for telling me the truth." He said softly. "I just wish that you could be happy now like you used to be with Emma. You don't get to choose thing you love most. All you can do is chase after her."

"I appreciate your concern, Henry, but you are mistaken. Miss Swan is neither the cause of my happiness nor the thing I love most."

"Then what is?"

"You."

"Really?" Henry asked, touched by her words, but not sure if she really actually what she was saying.

"No matter what you think," Regina began, "I do love you."

Henry wrapped his arms around his mother, burying his face in her stomach.

"I know," he whispered.

Henry had never seen his mother cry before. She was always so stern and composed. Always in control. Never letting anyone, not even Henry, see any sign of weakness.

When tears began flowing from her eyes, Henry was afraid that he had upset her, but then she laughed and he realized that they were not tears of sadness, but of joy.

Henry could feel her heart beating, and he could see the human side of his mother. He realized that she wasn't really evil. She was just scared and heartbroken.

And maybe fairytales never capture the whole story. Maybe we make people into villains to justify our struggle with them, to make ourselves heroes.


	20. Farewell

"You can't go," Henry told Emma as she loaded the last box into her car that morning.

"We already talked about this, Henry. I'm leaving town. It's what best for everyone."

"No, no, no! You're just scared. I know what happened with you and my mom. I know that there are problems, but true love's kiss-"

"Henry," Emma cried, her eyes watering. "This isn't a story."

"But my mom's not evil," Henry protested.

"I know. But I still have to leave and you still have to go to school."

"But-"

"You'll be fine without me."

"But what about you?"

"I'm fine." She promised, giving him a pained smile as she turned and walked towards her car. He started walking to school.

Everything happened so fast.

Henry was walking across the street and the car should be stopping. There was a stop sign and the car should be stopping. Henry tried to move, but his legs were frozen in fear, because the car should be stopping.

And it wasn't.

And everything happened so fast. And he could hear a woman screaming his name. And the car was barely half a second away when he felt a pair of hands pushing him out of the way. And as he was thrown to the ground, he could hear the thunk of the car hitting his rescuer.

And the scrapes on his hands paled in comparison to the blood staining her blonde hair.

And he could hear himself screaming.


	21. True Love's Kiss

"…but we don't know when or even if she will wake up," Doctor Whale had told them.

The room was drowning in silence. The rain pounded against the window, leaving tear stains that echoed the ones on Henry's sleeve.

But he was no longer crying. Instead he seemed calm. And she was once glad for the fairytales he read, glad they had given him hope.

"No, Henry. We're here for you to see Miss Swan." Regina protested when Emma's room was finally ready for visitors.

"But Mom, she saved my life."

"I know, but I-I just can't-"

"What you can't do is hold on to bitterness. Because it's going to end up hurting you the most."

"But-"

"It'll be okay," Henry promised. "Take my hand."

His little soft fingers wrapped around hers as they walked down the hall.

She used to hold his hand all the time when they walked. Back when he called her Mommy and was afraid of getting lost. Before he decided that he was too old to be treated like a little kid.

Henry held onto her hand as they walked into Emma's room.

Henry liked to talk about how Emma was a savior. He idolized her. He spoke of her like she was a knight in shining armor.

But now she no longer looked like Henry's knight in shining armor. She didn't even look like the Miss Swan that the mayor waged war against.

Emma was just so fragile, so broken. Dressed in a hospital gown with bandages and closed eyes. The room was filled with soft breathing and the rhythmic beating of machines.

"It's like she's in a sleeping curse," Henry whispered.

"I know."

Then Henry started speaking to the sleeping woman, thanking her for her bravery and assuring her that she would be okay, because good always wins.

"You're going to be okay," Henry promised Emma again at the end. "I brought your prince," he whispered to her, not intending for Regina to hear.

Henry placed Regina's hand in Emma's and smiled.

"Your turn," he told Regina before quietly walking out of the room.

She didn't know what to say. The thunder crackled as she stood there in silence, running her fingertips along the soft patches of skin between Emma's fingers.

"You know," she started, "every time it rains really hard, it reminds me of that first time we kissed, back when we were first falling in love and everything was simple." She smiled at Emma. "See? I can dwell on the  
past."

Emma said nothing. No retort, no smile, no silly face. Regina could feel her eyes tearing up.

"I spent years hating you," she admitted, "but only because of all those years I spent loving you."

Saying it out loud made it sound more paradoxical than it actually was.

"I missed you so much it felt like I was bleeding internally. All those years spent raising Henry by myself, I was falling apart waiting for you to come back so I could hold you in my arms."

And this was Regina letting go of her anger, her bitterness. This was Regina opening her heart and being candid. No more walls, no more secrets. Because Emma's eyes wouldn't open. And Emma's mouth wouldn't  
open. And the only movement came from her chest, rising and falling ever so slightly as she breathed.

"I loved you, and I missed you, and I was so mad at you for leaving. It's like it came from the same part of me, my love and my hate."

Regina brought Emma's hands up to her lips and kissed it.

"Come back to me, Emma."

And maybe Henry was right about true love's kiss and sleeping curses, because somehow, Emma's eyes opened.

"Hey," Emma breathed with a goofy grin on her face. But then she shut her eyes tightly and groaned in pain like she had a migraine.

"Emma," Regina beamed at her princess.

"Who's Emma?" the blonde woman asked, looking at Regina like she was a stranger.


	22. A White Horse and a Royal Execution

"Hey Ma," the child said to her. She didn't know him, but she enjoyed having someone to talk to. Hospitals could be really boring.

"Ma?" she asked as he put his bag down in the chair and smiled politely at her.

"I couldn't call you mom, because then it would get confusing because I have another mom, and I couldn't just keep calling you Emma because it's just getting weird calling my mother by her first name. So I took off the 'Em.' Now it's just 'Ma.'"

"Right, and you're…"

"Henry. I'm your birth son."

Emma nodded. She didn't remember having a son, but she also knew that he wasn't lying to her. She couldn't remember much, so it was best just to go along with what other people told her.

"I brought a game." Henry said, pulling out a box from his bag. He opened the box to reveal a checkered board and some chess pieces. "You wanna play?"

"I don't know how to play chess," Emma admitted.

"That's okay. I'll teach you."

His eyes became alive as he described the different moves of the different pieces, like they were all characters in his kingdom.

"I always go second, so you're going first," Henry explained as he set up the board with the white pieces on Emma's side and the black pieces on his own side.

"So what does the horse do?" she asked, trying to remember.

"That's a knight." He corrected. "It moves in an L shape."

"L shape?"

"Two by three diagonally, but it can jump over pieces and nothing else can do that. It's unique, kind of like you."

"So I'm the white horse."

"White knight," Henry corrected. "You're a lot more courageous than you realize. You just have trouble believing in yourself."

"Right." Emma knew it was best not to argue with a child. You never win. Even when you're right.

"See this one?" Henry asked, picking up a tall black piece from his side. This is the queen. She's the most powerful piece in the game. She's basically a castle mixed with a bishop. She can mimic the moves of every other piece, except the knight. It's her only weakness."

"And that one is…"

"My mom, my other mom" Henry clarified. "I used to think she was evil, but now I know she's not."

"So what does that make you?"

"I'm a prince," Henry boasted.

"Which piece is that? This one?" Emma asked, pointing to a shorter piece.

"No, that's a pawn." He seemed offended. "There aren't any princes in chess."

"Then how-" Emma started. "Oh nevermind."

* * *

"Hey pretty lady," Emma said to the queen.

"Are you complimenting me, or do you just not remember my name?"

"How could I forget your name?"

"Let's hear it, then."

"It starts with an R."

"Yes."

"And then there's an…o?"

Regina grabbed a piece of paper and drew six blank spaces. In the first space, she wrote the letter R. She drew a box and wrote the letter O. Then she hung a head from the hangman noose.

"Try another vowel," Regina prompted.

"A?" Emma guessed.

Regina wrote the letter A in the last blank

"So it's not Rachel." The knight deduced.

"That is correct."

"E?"

She wrote the letter E in the second blank

Emma's eyebrows knit in confusion. "Remira?"

Regina wrote the work Remira in the box and added a stick to the figure.

"Hey, that's not fair. That wasn't a letter."

"You guessed incorrectly."

"L?"

An arm.

"I?"

Fourth blank.

"D?"

Another arm.

"P?"

A leg.

"You're almost dead," the queen pointed out.

"You know I don't like being pressured, Regina."

Regina raised her eyebrows and filled in the missing letters G and N.

"How did you-" the queen started.

"I don't know. It just… I'm not really sure."

"Do you remember anything else?"

Emma closed her eyes. "Rain. The taste of chocolate milk."

"Not just regular milk then."

"Chocolate makes everything better."

"Hey, do you remember when-" Regina stopped mid-sentence, because she realized that: no, Emma didn't. "Sorry. I guess you don't."

"What?"

"I was going to ask if you remembered that time when you knocked over a chocolate fountain. It's just, for a second there, I forgot about all this," she gestured to the hospital room

Emma offered her a sad smile.

"Just because I can't remember it doesn't mean that I don't like hearing about it. Tell me more."

"There's not that much to tell. You spilled chocolate all over yourself."

"Wow, I was an idiot."

"Yes you were. But you were my idiot. You tried to give me a hug."

"And what did you do?"

"I made you take a shower, of course. You clothes were absolutely ruined, so I let you borrow a pair of mine."


	23. A Little Rain

"Oh, come on," Emma said as she was taking a walk with Regina. Most of her injuries had healed, and she seemed glad to be out of the hospital room. "Like you've never done anything stupid."

"Excuse me," the mayor replied. "I am a perfect person."

Emma raised an eyebrow at that.

"Apart from the fact that I'm in love with an idiot." Emma stopped and Regina turned.

"You're in love with me?" Emma asked.

"I probably shouldn't have said that. It must be so complicated, not remembering-"

"No, it's…it's okay." Emma intertwined the fingers of her right hand with those of Regina's left hand.

Regina felt a raindrop hit her shoulder and groaned. "We should probably start heading back now."

But Emma had a wild grin on her face and a look in her eyes that Regina knew all too well as she said "A little rain won't hurt us."

They sat down on a park bench overlooking the rippling gray lake. Emma stuck her tongue out, trying to catch a raindrop in her mouth. After an unsuccessful attempt, she turned back to her companion. A blonde curl fell into her eyes and Regina absentmindedly reached out to tuck it behind her ear. Their eyes met, emerald against hazel, and they both froze.

It was like one of those moments when you stare at one spot on your wall with so much concentration that everything else in your line of vision just fades away into blurred nothingness. That was how Regina felt staring into Emma's eyes.

And then Emma's lips pressed lightly against hers own.

And just for a moment, it was easy to forget about the accident and the fact that Emma's lost memories, easy to forget about tall the years without Emma and their fighting in Storybrooke, easy to forget about her mother and everyone else who disapproved, easy to forget about reputation and worrying about what anyone thought.

Because just for a moment, no one else and nothing else existed.

And when the moment was over and everything came rushing back, it was okay.

Because when Emma smiled at her and hazel eyes gazed into emerald, Regina saw that Emma really was right when she said that a little rain wouldn't hurt them.

* * *

 _"So at first," Regina was saying. "I thought that just a black and white tux would be best, but now I'm starting to think about adding a splash of color. Maybe a bright blue bowtie."_

 _"Sorry, what?" Emma asked, having spaced out at talk of clothes._

 _"Henry's tux. I mean, it's going to be adorable either way, but do you think we should a splash of color? I mean, too much color could be a bit obnoxious, but-"_

 _"Wait, why does the baby need a tuxedo?"_

 _"Formal attire is required at a wedding," Regina replied, as if it were obvious. "I know that you don't care much for clothes, dear, but you need to understand that your outfit is an extension of yourself. No one will respect you if you can't dress nicely."_

 _Ordinarily, Emma would have rolled her eyes at that comment, in a teenagerish sarcastic 'yes mother,' kind of way. But she was more caught up in the fact that Henry would be attending their wedding._

 _"What's wrong?" Regina asked, picking up on Emma's anxiety. Emma decided to ask the question that she had been hesitant to ask, for fear of the answer that she would receive._

 _"How long are we keeping this kid?" Regina nearly laughed at her question._

 _"He's not a stray dog that we picked up. He's a real human child that you gave birth to." Regina clarified, as if Emma needed a reminder._

 _"I know you want me to, but I just can't be his mother." Emma explained, trying to make her see the problem with this situation. "I'm not cut out for it."_

 _"That's why you have me. Because Emma, he's not just your son. He's our son."_

 _Just two words. Our son. But those two words carried so much emotion. It made everything feel so real. Like they were a family._

 _And though Regina had meant to give her comfort, Emma was now more terrified than ever._

 _Because somehow, those two words carried so much more feeling than a little ring, so much more responsibility._

 _And Emma was brought face to face with the painful reality of her situation._

 _And when Regina hugged her, Emma wanted to stay like this, held tightly and safely in her fiancé's arms. But she knew that the fated infant's cry would tear her away._

 _And if she could hardly take care of herself, what hope did Henry have?_

 _Because Henry didn't have two parents. Regina had two children._

 _And when Regina called him 'our son,' it brought to life the image of her and Regina and Henry, all together, forever. And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. They had talked about having a family someday, before Henry was born._

 _But this was happening now. No longer a fantasy of future days, 'someday' was now._

 _And though it was beautiful, it was also more terrifying than any other thing Emma could possibly imagine._


	24. Coming Home

It was a good day. Emma was finally allowed to go back home.

Well, technically it was Mary Margaret's home, but hey, it was a start.

Mary Margaret had visited her a few times in the hospital. Apparently, they were close friends.

"Who wants cheese crackers?" Mary Margaret asked, bringing a tray of snacks into the room in which Henry and Emma were sitting. Emma enthusiastically tried to raise her right arm before wincing at the pain and raising her left arm instead. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," Emma assured Mary Margaret. "It'll just take some getting used to, but it should heal soon enough." Using her left hand, Emma grabbed a cracker with a piece of cheese on it and popped it into her mouth.

Henry helped himself to a handful that he took back to his spot on the floor. They were sorting through a few boxes of Emma's stuff that Mary Margaret had brought over to her house from the room at the bed and breakfast where Emma was staying. This was supposed to help her memory, but it was like walking through a thick fog.

"Can I have some juice?" Henry asked.

"Me too," Emma requested.

"Sure," Mary Margaret replied as she went back to the kitchen to fetch some.

She walked back with two glasses of juice and handed them to her guests.

"Kid, be careful with that juice," Emma instructed as she picked up her glass and brought it to her lips. You don't want to-Ah!" Emma exclaimed as the liquid trickled down her chin and stained her shirt. "…spill it."

Emma glared at the boy laughing at her and excused herself to the bathroom. She took of her shirt and began to wash it in the sink, hoping it wouldn't stain. As she was scrubbing her shirt, she looked up. And immediately wished she hadn't.

Every time she saw her reflection, she grimaced. Emma had never really liked to look at herself in the mirror, even before the accident, but now she felt even more self-conscious. She was covered in large bruises and scars that she was told would most likely heal with time. But this just didn't look like her.

She heard a knock at the bathroom door and opened it slightly to see Mary Margaret standing there, her head down and her left arm holding a clean shirt for Emma.

"Thanks," Emma said as she took the shirt and put it on, glad that it was a shirt to button up and not to put over your head, because her right shoulder was injured.

"Hey Ma, you know how we're doing this to help you remember?" Henry asked as she walked back into the room with the new shirt on. "Well, it's starting to make me remember some stuff too."

"Like what?" Emma asked, wondering what could possibly be in her stuff that Henry would recognize.

"See this?" Henry asked, flourishing a golden ring with his little fingers for her to see.

"I don't-" Emma started. "Wait." She took a closer look at it, and was surprised to find that she remembered giving it to a certain someone. "I remember this."

"You do?" Henry smiled.

As Emma held the ring in her hands, she could remember singing Taylor Swift songs and kissing in the rain. She could remember laughing and crying and watching tv and drinking chocolate milk. She remembered baby Henry crying, like a citizen in peril calling for a superhero mom.

And she remembered how she left it all.

And she remembered Regina thrusting that very ring back into her hands. 'To remind myself never to trust someone again.'

"Ma?" Henry asked, his voice hazy and distant. "Are you alright?"

It took Emma a moment for her mind to process his question. For a moment, she just sat there, staring at the ring, her body frozen and her mind in the past.

"Hmmm…what? Oh, umm, yeah. Yeah, I'm good. I just need a minute." Emma set the ring down like it was an unimportant toy that comes with a kid's meal and walked outside. She just needed some fresh air. Away from all these people. She needed to be alone. She inhaled deeply and exhaled. She gripped the railing tightly as she slowly walked down the stairs.

She was about to grab the handle of the door to the outside, but it moved out of the way as someone on the outside pulled it open.

"Emma," the mayor exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

But these weren't the stoic yet threatening eyes of Mayor Mills. This was Regina, her Regina. The pretty girl with chocolate eyes that nearly made Emma drool the first time she saw her. The law student who loved hamburgers and had a secret pair of glasses that she wore when she was reading in bed at night.

Her eyes looked at Emma with so much tenderness and joy and love.

"I remember. I remember everything."

"That is wonderful news. We should celebrate. How about a dinner at my house? I can make that special lasagna that you-"

"No! Don't you get it? You aren't supposed to be nice to me. That's not how it works."

"But I love you"

"No, you don't," Emma protested, frustrated by her grace. "You love that I saved Henry, alright? You love your son and I got injured saving him, so this is your way of paying me back. But I don't want your pity. I just need to do what you told me to do: leave this town once and for all."

It was an awkward walk back upstairs. Regina wouldn't look at her. She just stared straight ahead. And this cold stoic expression on Regina's face, this was the mayor that Emma had encountered. The woman only here to pick up her son and be on her way.

"Hey mom, Ma remembers-" Henry started

"Yes, honey, it's time to go." she responded.

"But I wanna stay," he complained. She firmly met his gaze with her own 'do as you're told' glare.

"Actually," Emma chimed in. "I can drive him home. If that's okay." She needed to talk to him.

"Pleeeeease?" Henry begged, using his puppy dog eyes for emphasis, a skill he had definitely inherited.

"Okay," his mother agreed, still looking solely at Henry, "just don't be late for dinner."


	25. Happy Endings

After Henry's mom left, Henry, his ma, and Mrs. Nolan continued to sort through Emma's things. Mrs. Nolan enthusiastically shared memories of herself and Emma, but Henry's ma just nodded and smiled, the way people do when they're not really focused and just want to go home. Soon Mrs. Nolan picked up on that too.

When they left, Henry's ma actually hugged Mrs. Nolan as they said goodbye. It wasn't just a see you later hug, which Henry had never seen his ma do anyway. When Henry asked her about it, she told him that he was leaving town. He didn't believe her. She tried to give him the same goodbye hug, but he wouldn't let her.

"So this ring…" Henry prompted from the passenger's seat as Emma was driving him home. There was something that he still didn't quite understand. He could tell that it was a sensitive issue for her, from the way she tried to ignore him. For a moment, he was afraid that she would close off and not tell him anything at all.

"That's just something your mom gave back to me," she said finally. That would explain how Emma got it from his Mom. But…

"This is Daniel's ring." Henry said.

"Who's Daniel?" she asked, and realization finally dawned on Henry.

"You are."

"What?" she asked, still not understanding. Henry's grin grew and a breath escaped his open mouth in a laugh. He would have hugged her right then and there, but she was driving and there was no need to cause another car accident.

"You're Daniel. You're alive." The smile on his face grew. "You're my dad."

"Okay, I may be your mom," she took one hand off of her steering wheel to use for gesturing as she spoke. This made Henry nervous.

"Both hands on the wheel!" he nearly shouted at her. She was a bit surprised, but obeyed him and continued.

"…but I'm definitely not your dad," she finished.

"Isn't this the engagement ring you gave her?"

"Well…"

"So it's true! It's like what Ms. Nolan said about the birds. If you love them and they love you, they will always find you."

"Kid, it's not that simple," she told him, as adults are apt to do. They always try to make excuses for things they don't understand, avoiding questions that they don't want to answer by focusing on other things instead.

"But she's a queen and you're her knight."

"This isn't a game of chess."

"But you love her, right? Because I know she loves you, even if it's hard for her to admit."

"It doesn't matter either way. I still have to leave town."

"No, no, no!" Henry protested. "You're just scared, but that's only because you belong together." Emma pulled the car over and he breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to him.

"This isn't a story Henry. In real life, there aren't always happy endings. But this is what's best."

"No it's not!" Henry screamed, in the voice of a five year old throwing a tantrum. If his mom were here, he would definitely be punished for using that tone.

"Henry," his ma said, and for a moment, she was his other mom, with her deadly do as I say glare and angry but firm tone of voice that petrified him. But then she took a breath and became Emma once more. "I'm not going to argue about this with you, kid."

"But you're not dead," he said finally, in a much nicer and softer tone, like all the fire and rage had been snuffed out of him.

"Dead?" She asked, confused. "What are you talking about? Why would I be dead?"

"My mom told me that she and Daniel never got married because he died, but you're not dead."

"Oh…well…umm…"

"I know now that she was lying to me about that. You're a bit injured, but you clearly have not been dead for the past decade, so something else happened." He narrowed his eyes at her and asked "what aren't you telling me?"

She sighed and looked down at her knees, sliding a curl of hair behind her ear when it fell before turning back to him.

"I walked out." She replied, in the same quiet voice that he had used. "Simple as that."

"What do you mean?"

"Look," her fire started coming back to her. "I know you think that I'm this heroic knight in shining armor or whatever, but the truth is I'm just an idiot who walked out on what could have been a great life because-" she stopped

"Because…"

"Because I couldn't cope with being a mother. I couldn't handle the responsibility of taking care of someone other than myself. I gave birth to you, yeah, but I didn't want to keep you. That wasn't the plan. But Regina loved you so much, and I didn't want to force her to choose between you and me." She looked back down at her knees. "So I made the choice easier for her. I packed my things and just… left."

"Because of me…" Tears welled up in his eyes. "I'm the reason you left. It's all my fault." Henry opened the car door and got out. He started running.

"No. Henry!" Emma tried to follow him, but he took a path that cars couldn't go through and by the time she got out of her car, he was long gone.

"Mommy, I'm sorry," Henry cried as he burst into his house.

"Henry," his mother ran or rather walked quickly in her clacky shoes to where he was standing, "what's the matter?"

"I-I made Emma leave you. I made you sad. I killed Daniel."

"What? Who told you that?"

"Emma. You were going to get married, and I made her leave. I took away your happy ending. I'm so sorry Mom."

"Henry, listen to me." She gripped his shoulders. "What happened between Miss Swan and me, you need to understand that none of that was your fault."

"Yes it was. I ruined your happy ending. That makes me a villain."

"No Henry," she commanded in that same stern voice. "You're not a villain. You're my son." He buried his face in her dress, and she didn't even object to the tear stains on the expensive fabric.

And she tried to convince him and convince herself that Henry was all she needed to be happy. She condemned Emma's idiocy the same way Emma had and insisted that she didn't need that woman as long as she had her little prince, because he was the only source of her happiness.

He knew she loved him, and he knew that she wanted to believe her own words.

But he didn't believe her. And he didn't think she did either.


	26. About a Boy

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's one small tidbit of information before you read it. There's a song, one that you may be familiar with, one that is sung much slower than you expect. i would strongly encourage you to go to this link and listen to it before proceeding.**

 **watch?v=BjTVT9xkw9U**

Regina's eyes jumped from her book to her bedroom window when she heard a thunk. Setting the book aside, she slowly walked over to investigate, arriving just in time to see another pine cone hit the glass. She opened it and stuck her head out the window, her hands resting on the sill.

"What are you doing here, Miss Swan?" Regina yelled at the woman standing in her yard with another pine cone in her hand, poised to throw. A guitar lay on the ground behind her.

"I messed up."

"If you've come here to woo me with-?"

"Actually," Emma said, interrupting her, "this song's not for you. Tell Henry to open up his window."

Regina didn't know why she went along with it. Maybe because she knew that Miss Swan was a persistent woman and would continue to throw pine cones deep into the night, preventing any sleep from occurring. Maybe because she was surprised that Emma wanted to serenade Henry, that she actually cared about him. Maybe she knew that this was probably going to be a final goodbye, one that Henry needed to hear. Or maybe she just missed Emma's voice.

"Honey," Regina said softly, entering her son's bedroom to find him lying on his bed. "I think Emma has something she wants to say to you."

"I don't want to talk to her." He mumbled in his grumpy voice.

"You don't have to talk. Just come here and listen."

With less provocation than expected, Henry sat down next to his mother by the window, with his head buried in his little arms resting on the window sill. His eyes were covered by his arms so that he wouldn't have to look at the woman outside the open window, down on the ground, strumming a guitar.

You're insecure,

Don't know what for,

You're turning heads when you walk through the door,

Don't need make-up, to cover up,

Being the way that you are is enough

Everyone else in the room can see it,

Everyone else but you

And Regina smiled as his little head poked up cautiously.

Baby you light up my world like nobody else,

The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,

But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell,

You don't know, oh oh,

You don't know you're beautiful,

A smile tugged at his lips and Regina thought she saw a tooth flash for a second there.

If only you saw what I can see,

You'll understand why I want you so desperately,

Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe,

You don't know, oh oh,

You don't know you're beautiful, oh oh,

That's what makes you beautiful

"Henry," Emma said, and there was something about the way she said his name, something about how she didn't just call him 'kid' that brought a sparkle to his eyes even when he tried to conceal them, and maybe Regina had been doing the same thing to Emma.

"I am so so sorry about what I said earlier," Emma apologized. "I wasn't thinking straight and I never should have said any of that. Okay?"

Henry finally looked at her, hazel eyes on green and Emma continued.

"You aren't what drew your mom and me apart. That was all on me. I can't keep blaming other people for my problems, for my insecurities and fears and…" Her eyes turned to Regina. "I just have to face things myself, you know? Own up to my own mistakes.

And face people rather than running away from them. I could have just run away again. I could have just run away from everything and try to forget it, but that's a terrible way to live life. I had to come here, at least try to fix things.

And I know it took me a while to realize it, Henry, but you are a beautiful child. You need to know that it's not your fault I left. But you are what brought me back. You're the reason I stayed in Storybrooke all those times your mom tried to make me leave, and for that I owe you more than I can say. I love you, Henry. You're my son. Even if you don't want to talk to me, I just had to tell you that. And I wanted to thank you, Henry. For giving me a second chance, and for teaching me how to face things, to not run away even when I'm scared."

There were a few moments of silence in which Henry decided that Emma was done speaking. He hugged Regina, drying his eyes on her blouse and asked in his most adorable voice, looking up at Regina, "Can we let her in now?"

Regina laughed, envying her son's childlike ability to forgive.

"Sure, pumpkin," she said, and he raced down the stairs to do so.

Henry hugged Emma, right there with his bare feet on the front lawn and a surprised woman slowly wrapping her arms around him to return the embrace.

They walked to the porch hand in hand. Once they got there, Emma set down her guitar and to speak to Regina.

"Look," was all she could get out before another pair of lips collided with hers.

And Regina Mills, mayor of Storybrooke, kissed Emma Swan right there, on her front porch. And it didn't matter who was watching. And it didn't matter what they thought. And it didn't matter what mistakes Emma had made in the past, because maybe if Henry had taught Emma courage, he had also taught Regina forgiveness. And truth be told, she really did love this woman, not only in spite of her flaws, but also because of them.

"Eww" Henry complained as he put his hands over his eyes.


	27. A Little Tux for Henry

Henry paced in the courtyard, next to the fountain, running his fingers through his hair and trying to pick at the acne on his forehead. Was it hot outside? He seriously hoped that he wasn't sweating through his fancy white button down, but he couldn't be sure. There were a lot of layers.

In the corner of his eye, he observed a girl sitting down on the cement barrier of the fountain. A girl with her hair in ribbons, wearing a shimmering blouse that he had never seen before today.

"Henry," she called, interrupting his pacing and forcing him to look directly at her, into her chocolate brown eyes that kept him paralyzed, "calm down."

He nodded, maybe a little too quickly and sat down next to her.

"Want some?" She asked, holding out an open package of gum. "Might be better than chewing on the insides of your cheeks."

He could feel heat radiating from his face, but he took a piece, stuffing the wrapper in his pocket next to his note cards and tentatively biting off a piece of the rectangular shaped gum so that it was now closer to a square shape.

"And hey," she told him. "It's not like you're being graded or anything."

As Henry's classmate, Grace knew all too well about his public speaking anxiety. She was trying to make him feel better.

"But this is even more important than grades," he protested. "This is my parents' wedding we're talking about."

"And so the attention will be focused on them, not on you."

He nodded again and tried to slow his breathing, but he could feel his heart beating in his abdomen.

And then they had to go inside and there was a lot of waiting before Henry was finally called up to speak.

And as he stood in the front, on the slightly elevated floor, fumbling with his note cards, Grace smiled at him, and gave him a thumbs up. He honestly didn't remember much after that. Words just came out of his mouth, and he wasn't entirely sure what he said, but at last, it was over, and his moms were smiling at him. And so was Grace.


End file.
